U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,435 discloses a bill handling apparatus that comprises a validator means for validating a bill inserted into the apparatus, a stacker means for storing a bill in response to an output from the validator means when the bill is considered genuine by the validator means, a frame for supporting the stacker means, a coupling means provided between the validator means and frame for detachably supporting the validator means on the frame in the condition of alignment of the passageway in the validator means with a passageway of the stacker means, a connector means which comprises a plug and a jack, one of which is attached to a rear end of the validator means for electrical connection with a validator sensor, and the other is attached to a front end of the frame, and a power transmission means which comprises a drive gear rotatably supported on the frame, and a follower gear rotatably mounted on the validator means and disposed on the same plane of the drive gear.
The validator means includes conveyor means for transporting the bill along a passageway, and sensor means disposed adjacent to the passageway. When the validator means is attached to the frame through the connector means, the follower gear in the validator means automatically comes into engagement with the drive gear of the frame, and the plug and jack of the connector means are simultaneously and automatically engaged with each other to drive a conveyer means in the validator means by a motor provided outside the validator means and in the frame. Also, the sensor means in the validator means can forward its output to a validator control means provided outside the validator means and in the frame through the connector means. However, this bill handling apparatus is disadvantageous because a drive means and a pusher in the bill handling apparatus are not modularized for assembly and disassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,361 demonstrates a bill handling apparatus which comprises a validator for checking a bill fed into the apparatus whether or not the bill is genuine, a stacker detachably mounted in the apparatus and having a casing for defining a compartment to store the accumulated bills, and a transporter for transporting the bill along a passageway from the validator to the stacker, a chamber defined by the casing of the stacker, a pusher removably located within the chamber of the stacker and drivingly connected with the transporter for pushing the bill into the compartment, an opening formed in the casing in the vicinity of the chamber for passing the pusher, and a slit-shaped inlet formed in a base plate of the pusher for receiving the bill within the pusher from an exit of the passageway of the transporter. However, this apparatus is inconvenient because the validator cannot be removed from the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,461 represents a banknote validator that comprises a plurality of releasable components secured in a frame body, and electrical means for connecting the validator to an associated device allowing communication therebetween. The releasable components include a validating head for receiving and determining the authenticity of a banknote, a banknote storage arrangement for receiving banknotes accepted by the validator, and a power interface module for receiving power from the electrical means to provide any power conversion necessary for powering the validating head. This banknote validator comprises several releasable components, however, does not have any releasable power transmission device.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a modularized document handler that comprises a modular drive device and a plurality of modular driven devices drivingly and detachably connected to the drive device to operate the driven devices by the drive device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a modularized document handler that comprises a drive device, a validator and a stacker each formed into a unit that may be organically and separably interlocked each other for integral driving of the validator and stacker by the drive device. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a modularized document handler that comprises a drive device, a validator and a stacker organically and separably unitized each other to consistently and continuously transport a document inserted into the validator through the drive device to the stacker.